The Handmaiden

A young handmaiden is hired by a mansion-dwelling heiress living under the watchful eye of her domineering uncle. Park Chan-wook’s sumptuous period tale of romance and deception transposes Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith to Korea in the 1930s.

“It is certainly a brilliant adaptation of Sarah Waters’ original novel and a film about something that most other movies can only guess at: pleasure and rapture.” ★★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“The result is a lush, silken, erotic, disturbing, beautifully photographed drama of betrayal and passion." ★★★★ Kate Muir, The Times

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The Ultimate Picture Palace (UPP) is a locally owned independent cinema just off East Oxford’s Cowley Road with a single screen in a cosy auditorium. We show an eclectic mix of independent, mainstream, foreign language, and classic films.